What Were They Thinking?
by BookCaseGirl
Summary: A compilation of the thoughts from every epic moment in the relationship or sometimes lack thereof between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf.
1. Victor Victrola: Dancing

**Title: **What _Were_ They Thinking?

**Author: **BookCaseGirl (Abby)

**Date: **August 11, 2009

**Rating: **T

_**Summary: A compilation of the thoughts from every epic moment in the relationship (or sometimes lack thereof) between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf.**_

**Status: **Work in-progress, though all future chapters are already written.

**Classification: **Some chapters will be totally happy, while others may make your heart break. No guarantees (;

**Author's Note: **Okay, so I honestly don't think there's any Chuck/Blair fan out there who doesn't try to imagine what Chuck and Blair are thinking. I got this idea a little while ago when I was watching and just saying out loud what I was so sure they were thinking. You've really gotta hand it to Leighton and Ed for being such great actors as to make the viewers want to be inside their heads. Anywho, for this chapter, I chose to do the dancing scene, because I guess I feel the limo scene is just so....over-done?...not sure if that's the wording I'm going for, but I hope you get it. So, I thought I would do this instead (:

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl

This chapter isn't beta'd, and I don't really plan on having any future chapters get beta'd either, unless someone really wants to do it for me

* * *

"Where's Nate?" Chuck was surprised to see Blair instead of his male-pal – and that was putting it mildly. Why the hell would she want to come and celebrate Chuck's opening of a _strip club_? It was more of a macho guy thing than dainty princess girl thing. _Well, whatever floats Ms. Waldorf's boat,_ he supposed.

"I think we just broke up." Well, if he had been surprised to see her, then surely this was just bone-rattling shock that he was experiencing now. The golden boy and his queen had called it quits? What the hell had Nathanial done now, for Christ's sake? He just didn't know how good he had it with Blair, did he? Though since when did _Chuck _criticize what Nate did to Blair? Sure he had always known...but always his lips were sealed. Why was he voicing his opinions – okay, so they were only in his head – now, of all the time?

"What?" the confusion that he felt was evident in his abrupt question and Blair just walked right past him, ignoring anything else he had to say.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Blair shot him a fleeting glare, still walking by him. "I just want to escape. That's what this place is for, right?" Her voice held a bit of doubt in it – as if she weren't exactly sure she should be doing this – and she added a bit of a carefree jaunt to her step. He figured this was Blair Waldorf trying to let loose, and it was the most he would ever see her do so.

That was why all Chuck could do was watch her. Staring at the back of her head, he wondered what the night would have in store as he followed her inside – keeping a fair distance between them for fear that she would explode and reveal the real Blair, who was ready to crumble before him.

***

The crumbling never happened, to say the least. Chuck watched her cautiously as they sat in his favorite seat of the house – front row, the booth. Music pumped through the speakers, and he could feel the beat inside of him as he casually leaned back in the couch. It was just a regular night with the ladies up there, on the stage.

Blair seemed like such an amateur as she sat on the edge of her own space in the seat and sipped at her champagne, her ruby lips twisted upward in an almost envious smile. While Chuck was lounging lazily, with a gaze of lasciviousness cast in the direction of the beautiful women on stage, Blair looked positively entranced and captivated by them. It was obviously her first time having been to a strip club and he resisted the urge to chuckle at the particular phrasing used.

As Chuck continued to stare at the back of her curly mass of hair, he finally decided to speak up. "I know you don't wanna talk about what happened, but..." he shouted reluctantly over the music. He really wasn't so sure this was what he was supposed to do. Was she here to ask him about what the hell was wrong with Nate? Was Blair looking for something else? Or maybe she came here just to fuck it all and have a damn good time.

"Relief. I feel relief," her reply was just as loud as his original statement as she nodded her head in confirmation, her glass of bubbly just to the side of her face as she took a break from drinking it. Her face was serious, he was able to tell that even without looking at her. Her head bobbed a bit more to the music as she avidly looked after the women who were strutting under the multi-colored lights.

"You know, I've got moves..." Blair said thoughtfully as she still stared up at the show.

This was cause for complete surprise from Chuck. He raised his eyebrows, and her comment even made him raise his head from its unbelievably comfortable position on the back of the sofa.

"Really? Then why don't you get up there?" he moved closer to her ear so he wouldn't have to shout as much and smirked at the last bit, challenging her. It was part of the friendly game of dares that was played between them. Totally innocent – for the most part, that is.

"No-oh," she said laughingly, the liquid in her glass tumbling along with a few locks of her hair. She didn't dare look away from those women, even as she continued to speak to him. "I'm just saying, I have moves." Her head nodded once more in confirmation of her own words. Why was it that she felt the need to confirm what _he _already knew so well? Though perhaps it was the fact that she herself was not as convinced as Chuck had been for years.

"Come on," he said, his voice almost gravelly. He bumped into her side with his own, a silent encouragement. "You're ten times hotter than any of those girls." Hell, it was worth a shot, wasn't it? Making a play for his best friend's ex. Nate had done practically the equivalent with Serena...though she was only the best friend to Blair, and Chuck had certainly never been permitted to tap that ass, sadly. But then again, to Chuck, there was something...so untouchable and impermissible with Blair. She was deliciously off-limits and he was content to oblige. He didn't want to be the one to break her.

"I know what you're doing, Bass," Blair said disappointedly, turning her head to look at him with a serious expression on her face. So, the jig was up; she knew he was only trying to get her goat so she would get up there just to prove something to him? Or did she know...no, surely she didn't know that he had thought of deflowering her, albeit not for the first time in his life (though, in his defense, the other times had been in drunken flurries that passed quickly).

He knew she wouldn't actually go up there in the end. These were musings of a girl that just wanted to be free, but sadly would never let loose enough to let freedom ring in her ears. Blair would sit next to him all evening, just watching those girls enviously.

He watched her from the side as it dawned on her – his thoughts of her reluctance and eventual retreat from the original unspoken challenge. Her eyes settled on the bottom of the stage before she looked at him again, amused. There was something in her eyes that told Chuck that there had been a part of her that was changed that evening. She was shedding her normal, self-conscious skin and stepping out of her cocoon. And something about that made Chuck all the more excited to be the one that was in the room while this happened.

"You really don't think I'll go up there."

Another raise of eyebrows accompanied his response. "I know you won't do that," he said quietly, his voice a low rumble as his eyes stayed fastened on the stage.

She looked away from him – mouth gaping and eyes wide – and he could positively hear the gears turning in her head as she started to quickly put together her own little plot. Her eyes were devious, her mouth turned up in the devil's unmistakable grin, and she turned to him. Blair's eyes twinkled under the dim light of the club and Chuck stared at her expectantly.

And when she told him, "Guard my drink," the look on her face and her tone of voice sounded just as surprised as he felt. It seemed Blair Waldorf was just a box full of astonishing advances tonight.

Chuck took his previous position against the back of the couch, fully expecting her to balk at all of the people looking at her as soon as she took the first step onto the stage. He held out his hand – the personal Chuck Bass invitation – telling her to get up there. Amused and almost scared of what Blair was capable of on the slight buzz of a glass and a half of champagne, Chuck lay back and watched her.

He smiled as she began her stride up to the stage to join the other ladies. Her first steps were absolutely seductive and the only thing his eyes were on were her gorgeous legs. Blair wasted no time when she had finally clacked her way up onto the stage in her Jimmy Choos. As she struck her initiating pose, their eyes locked, and Chuck literally lost his mind. He was unable to locate it, and found himself only able to look on in awe of what was happening.

She took the headband off first – the thing that gave her the sense of hierarchy she felt was necessary for her life and for ruling everyone around her – and threw it out into the crowd of her newly adoring fans. Chuck scooted to the edge of his seat, still without the power of normal human thoughts or reactions. She unzipped her mint green dress next, slowly, teasingly. He felt his mouth go dry – oh, there was a human reaction! - and he had to adjust a bit more as his mouth gaped and other parts of him did everything but open up.

The lights flashed in Chuck's face as he looked on. Finally, as she was raising her arms up to the sky, he stood up. An unknown and astoundingly protective side of him was kicking in as he heard the cat calls and 'hey's in the crowd. Just as he was about to run up and escort her off of the stage, she moved her hips with a sureness that was unbelievably natural and enticing. He had to stop in his tracks, because it was a moving moment in the life of Chuck Bass. He had found his siren.

She wasn't even singing, but the things that she was doing – the provocative movements that she made – were all music to his ears. They all drew him nearer and nearer to her and he just continued to fix his eyes on her in bewilderment. Who was this girl? What had she done with Blair fucking Waldorf? He found himself not really giving a shit at this point as his eyes went from bottom to top – pausing at the sight of the beautifully milky skin that covered her thighs.

Blair ran her small, fragile hands across the curls that covered her long neck and turned to lock eyes with Chuck once again – this time her gaze was seductive and enticing as she tapped her shoulder teasingly.

Chuck was still gaping at her in complete awe when a man who dressed and acted like a woman came to his side, voicing the question he himself had asked mere second before. "Who's that girl?" Only his voice was knowing, as if he could read Chuck's every thought and knew of the filthy things that Chuck was inappropriately imagining in his mind.

He shook his head in disbelief as he got out his response, "I have no idea." The man shouted something about a baby vamp – Chuck was far to enraptured to care at this point – and let him be.

Nodding his head at her, he pulled on a crease on the front of his suit, eyes still on hers. They were the only two people in the room, he swore it. And as he bobbed his head in approval, she grinned at him. This was their little secret that would never be spoken of again, except maybe in a private moment shared by the two. _Wait a second. What the _hell _am I doing imagining private moments with Blair Waldorf when she just broke up with my goddamn best friend? _

Chuck was trying to scold himself, but fascination took the place of his conscience as Blair bent down, gyrating her hips around in a slow circle. He sipped more champagne as her hips swayed more and more and Chuck watched Blair set herself free up on stage. He shook his head and smiled once again at her incredibly sultry moves and attitude. The way that she danced had something about it that was so much more unique than the rest of the...well...whores prancing around up there. She had class, but she was still willing to let loose.

She ran her hands up her thighs and they went to entangle in her pearl necklace, twisting it in the air and shooting a wild smile down at him. He took another swig of the carbonated liquid in his glass, his own appraising smile on his face, and then raised it in a toast, pursing his lips in approval. She smirked down at him, and he could tell that she was so obviously pleased with his positive critiquing.

The lights continued to flash in his face as Blair's arms raised above her head and she slowly moved her body around to the alluring tempo of the booming Victrola. He wanted this night to remain in his mind forever. Because the night that Blair Cornelia Waldorf let loose was the night that Chuck Bass finally figured out just how beautiful and bewitching she was when she just took it all off and was bare in front of the world.


	2. Seventeen Candles: The Necklace

**Title: **What _Were_ They Thinking?

**Author: **BookCaseGirl (Abby)

**Date: **August 12, 2009

**Rating: **T

_**Summary: A compilation of the thoughts from every epic moment in the relationship (or sometimes lack thereof) between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf.**_

**Status: **Work in-progress, though all future chapters are already written.

**Classification: **Some chapters will be totally happy, while others may make your heart break. No guarantees (;

**Author's Note: **Right. So with this chapter, I chose to do a more...popular scene between our favorite couple. It's the famous necklace-gift-giving scene, but not the actually sex part. I just feel like there is a TON to play with the necklace in Chuck and Blair's emotions and thoughts...I mean, you can totally see everything in their eyes. Anyway, here goes another installment. I sort of wanted to try something new with this...just have both Chuck and Blair's POVs mixed together a bit more. I apologize if it's confusing. Also, thatnks to those who reviewed!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl

This is also still unbeta'd.

* * *

"He was gonna get back together with me. But only so my mom would help his dad. You satisfied?" She glared at the group of people whom she had called her friends – maybe they still were her friends, she honestly didn't know – but Chuck in particular. He only stared back at her with those brooding eyes. Serena called after her, but all she wanted was to be alone, and maybe for one night, Serena and Chuck would both respect that.

So she had finally admitted it. He wasn't exactly satisfied when she asked. It wasn't how Chuck wanted things to play out. He didn't want Blair to end up so...broken looking. Nate really had meant something to her, that whole fairytale package had meant something to her. And even Chuck could admit that it had been slightly wrong of him to push her like that, to tell her to forget all her dreams. Sometimes it just wasn't that simple. Chuck would have gone after her, but Serena was too quick. Staring after them, he went to the bar, because he needed a damn drink to settle those...monsters inside of his stomach.

She gasped out a few tears as Serena gave her words of reassurance that she was there to talk to, and turned to face her blond friend. "We ended it." She was shaking, her arms were jelly, and her entire body felt useless and limp.

As Blair's hand went up to her chest, her eyes grew blearier and she said, "I wanted to tell you, but...a part of me thought that if I didn't say it out loud that it wouldn't be true..." her nose was beginning to drain and clog her throat and the tears were streaming without pause as Serena's warm hand reached out to stroke her cheek. It felt good to have someone that cared. Someone who certainly _wouldn't _be asking for sex afterwards, like a certain fish they all knew.

Still gasping, Blair fell into Serena's arms and held on to the girl with all her might. Grabbing her hair, her tear-coated voice managed to get out more. "It was my birthday wish for us to get back together." They pulled away, and she fiddled with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably and wanting nothing more than to just curl up in a bed somewhere – she didn't care where.

"Now I think it's really over," Blair finished the last bit only coming out in a quiet gasp. Serena looked like she was at a loss, she wasn't sure what to do or say. And maybe that was fitting, since she hadn't had to deal with this ever before. It was Nate, he always came running back to Blair like a puppy, but now she knew that it was so terribly different. He was gone for good, because she couldn't recognize him behind those eyes anymore. The actions he performed were so unlike himself that it made her gasp and sputter as Serena reached out and brushed her hand against the side of Blair's face.

It wasn't helping. None of it helped. It should have, but none of these attempts to make her feel better were doing anything for her shot self-esteem. All she wanted was that bed somewhere, to fill the empty voids that were in her. She wanted Audrey and maybe even a bowl of strawberry ice-cream. Blair even wanted her cherry polka-dot flannel pajamas that hadn't seen the light of day since her ninth birthday, if nothing else to just hold onto them and smell them, thinking of how her life was before it all fell apart.

"Is it okay if I just want to be alone for a second?" Blair pushed Serena away gently, only wanting the comfort of old memories and maybe a chenille blanket in one of Kati's brother's guest rooms. She walked inside, shutting the door behind her.

As Chuck sat at the bar, brooding with his glass of scotch, a thought occurred to him. He could just give Blair her present early – and, for once, he did not mean this in the dirty sense. Glancing over to the huge pile on the other side of the room, he noticed that his large black box, unwrapped, - because she was at that age where he really wasn't sure if wrapping was still required – sat on top. It would be an easy grab, and he could just walk back there and maybe only set it down in front of whatever room she had gone into.

He rose from the barstool and strode over to the tower of presents, plucking his right off of the top and hiding it in his suit jacket. Chuck honestly didn't care if someone caught him taking a present off of the princess's birthday pile, but if a scene was caused that meant it would take more time to get back to wherever Blair was. There was a small hallway that branched off from the main party and three rooms – a bathroom and two bedrooms – were lined around it. He heard sniffles and gently pushed the door open and peeked in at her, drawing the jewelry box from inside of his coat and putting it behind his back instead.

She was finally comfortable. The memories flitted across her mind's eye and she found that the tears were coming less frequently now. She was more angry at Nate than herself – which was slightly more stable than before, and infinitely more normal – and had proceeded to even punch the mattress a few times. But then she started to doubt herself once more. Where had it all gone wrong? What had she done to deserve all of his lying and cheating? Was she honestly that suffocating? As Blair pouted, she heard the door creak and looked up to find none other than that Bass outta hell.

"I'm not in the mood, Chuck," she glared at him sternly, propping up on her elbow to help aide her rising from the fetal position. "This is pretty much the worst birthday ever," Blair finished flatly, rolling her eyes back into her head as she felt a few more tears collect, but managed to keep them inside.

"Maybe it can be salvaged," Chuck said quietly, bringing the box out from behind his back. He sat down next to Blair and her black poof of a dress shifted noisily as she scooted over to make a little more room for him.

Blair glanced over at the mysterious black box – slightly annoyed – and snipped, "What is that, our sex tape?"

He didn't respond to her snarky comment, but only opened the box for her to feast her eyes upon. Chuck watched her face eagerly as she took in the sight, saying, "It's the Erickson Beamon necklace." Oh yes, he had been completely and utterly right to grab that box and bring it to her. The way that her face lit up made his heart palpitate abnormally – but still comfortably – inside of Chuck's chest and he felt himself get all warm and soft. It should have alarmed him, but instead made him giddy as he continued to watch her face.

She was so surprised to see that this was Chuck's gift. Blair should have been upset that he'd connived his way in and taken the gift that was meant to be given to her by Nate, but she found herself being overwhelmed with heat in her body at his romantic gesture. He had never been like this to anyone. Sure there was the occasional grunt of apology when something went to far, or a snarky comment to friends saying that Blair was better than them, but never something like this. And the necklace looked so beautiful, possibly more-so than in the store.

Chuck began to take the necklace out of the box, unfastening the clasp and readying it to be put on her neck. He could see the lust for the extravagant decoration in her eyes, but politeness overtook that as she said, "No, I couldn't," shaking her head vehemently. It was a load of BS and Chuck would take none of it. He wanted her better for some strange reason. Probably so she wouldn't off herself and leave him without a partner in plotting crime. But also maybe because...maybe because he wanted this fire that had been burning inside of him since the night before to be quenched. If she was happy, maybe it could be.

"Yes, you can," Chuck replied emphatically. His hands adjusted the necklace and a few of the sparkly diamonds caught the light, silencing all of Blair's earlier objections. Well, if he had said that she could have it, then who was she to deny a beautiful birthday present from a (possibly more than) good friend? His arms went around to the other side as he placed the necklace on her and then fastened it. It seemed that he was being careful not to touch her skin as he did so, and she could only look down at her neck, where the necklace currently lay.

Unable to keep from touching her any longer, he 'straightened' the necklace on her collarbone as she sat with her hands folded in her lap. It was like his own little work of art as he manipulated the piece of jewelery so that it lay just right. Both hands stroked little bits of her skin as he smoothed it down once more, and then he just couldn't keep his hands off of her as he stilled one hand on the very end of the necklace, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

She didn't dare shy away from the intensity of Chuck's gaze. It felt so incredible to have someone lavishing her with an amazing gift and unnecessary attention, and Blair had not the tiniest desire to push him away at all. Their eyes were locked together in the mirror, and Blair found it addicting – his touch, the way his eyes were so very focused on her. The attention electrified her and warmed her at the same time. It was so different than Nate. So much....better.

Chuck pet the necklace a few more times before speaking again, in a husky whisper that was quiet and intimate – something that was only between them. "Something this beautiful deserves to be seen on someone worthy of its beauty." He licked his lips, pressing them together before adding, "I really am sorry."

Her own hand stroked the same places that Chuck had only moments before, wanting that feeling to return. The feeling of having someone care enough to give her spectacular things and throw attention upon her because she deserved it so much.

She was only messing up what he had just fixed, a small anal retentive part of him was nagging at him. But then she looked down as he looked to the side of her face, fixing it once again. Her gaze turned downwards and then her tiny, beautiful hand grasped his large one. And if anything before had warmed him, now he was just a crackling fire on Christmas eve with her touch and the look that she was giving their entwined fingers. His hand moved against hers and he really didn't care about that damned necklace any longer.

It was extremely uncharacteristic, this version of Chuck Bass. His hand was comfortingly brushing against hers as they stayed glued together and he bent down to kiss her shoulder as well. It was so different, so welcomed in her current state of self-loathing and Nate-loathing. When his lips touched the tulle that made up the puffy cap-sleeves of her Valentino, she felt the wet warmth of them through the fabric and bent her head down to meet his.

Maybe it wasn't the worst birthday after-all.


	3. Hi, Society: Cotillion

**Title: **What _Were_ They Thinking?

**Author: **BookCaseGirl (Abby)

**Date: **August 13, 2009

**Rating: **T

_**Summary: A compilation of the thoughts from every epic moment in the relationship (or sometimes lack thereof) between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf.**_

**Status: **Work in-progress, though all future chapters are already written.

**Classification: **Some chapters will be totally happy, while others may make your heart break. No guarantees (;

**Author's Note: **Here is the chapter for "Hi, Society", where I chose to do the cotillion dance-floor scene between Chuck and Blair, mostly because the make-out scene in Blair's bed is just...cliche-ish for me once again. Oh, before I forget. I'm not trying to pick apart at very tiny parts or things that simply were not in the show, therefore "Blair Waldorf Must Pie" was skipped.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl

This is unbeta'd as well.

* * *

Once he finally found her on the dancefloor, he smirked, lowering his head in obvious victory – though he hoped Blair might not be able to read that. Her face was angry, furious even. Her eyes were cold and calculating as she stomped over to him, ready to accuse. Chuck was even slightly frightened that she might behead him, but he knew that she wouldn't be capable of such horrendous things when he was Nate's friend (and her 'special' one as well).

"Have you seen Nate?" she asked him once she had made it in front of him. That whole stunt from earlier had her on edge, and her thoughts – her schemes, the gears in her head – were on overdrive. She couldn't really concentrate properly, so when Chuck's arms went around her waist and they began to dance, she did not resist, and she did not object – though it was only because of the fact that her brain was temporarily boiling over with too many thought processes at once.

"Nate was asked to leave," he said, drawing her close to him with his face almost too near to her own.

"But here I am," Chuck finished, face nearer to hers than was absolutely necessary. She looked at him in shock. This was not normal; something was up. There was something not being told to her, and it pissed her off. She was Blair Waldorf, and no one plotted against _her_. She was queen, and he was her jester. He was meant to follow and aide her in every evil endeavor, not break away and use her own methods against her. That bastard.

They swayed with the slow music and Blair finally figured out what the hell was going on. Whatever he had planned had gone through successfully. "I know that look," she said, her voice being coated with a thin layer of ice as he smirked at her. They took two more steps and she finished, "It's a look when your plan falls into place."

He said nothing to her, because he was afraid to. The look in her eyes was not pride for him, it was not happiness at the fact that he had obviously rid her of Nate. It was an icy stare and there was disappointment behind her eyes at the fact that he had gone against her. That cut him, and made his throat go dry. Chuck could not speak. He only stared at her in horror as she continued.

"You're enjoying this." It was all coming together now, the whole puzzle piece in her mind. And though she would never admit it aloud to one soul, she knew that it was hurting her more than the many things that Nate had done. She and Chuck had been...whatever she and Chuck had been doing for nearly three weeks now, and the fact that he could be such a traitor as to..._sabotage _her like this was like a bucket of ice cold water being dumped on her face as someone said to her 'I told you so!'.

Yet, for some reason, even as the froth from her boiling point was going over the edge, she continued to step with him in perfect unison on the dance-floor. It should have been strange to her that they were so in sync, but she was far too focused on the fact that he had completely ruined everything. He had made what should have been a beautiful and elegant night for her complete hell.

"You knew Carter was going to my house..." Blair was getting more and more repulsed at the thought of the horrendous things he did by the second. "You tipped off Gossip Girl."

Her eyes were so sad now, she looked so...hurt and cornered. He hadn't wanted this to happen. If she had just denied Nate in the first place, then _he _could have escorted her. They could have made their first public appearance to society as he presented her like the true gentleman that Blair brought out in him. But no, it was back to comfort with that Archibald. Chuck hadn't meant for all of this...shit to happen, but it had, and it was his fault that she was hurting now. It was his fault that her wonderful night had been ruined. When did he get so stupid?

She felt the anger rising up her throat like bile, and she eyed him up and down with fury. "You _ruined _my cotillion on purpose," she said matter-of-factly. Her voice was flat and to the point, because this was only what Chuck Bass did. It was what he stood for, what he lived for. She should have known better than to ever trust this asshole that stood before her – the pompous jerk that had tainted her body and crushed her evening.

Blair backed away with him, sighing in utter and complete disgust. His arms ached to reach out for the warmth of her small body once more, but kept them at his sides, nonetheless.

"You did all of this for your own enjoyment and didn't care what it would do to me." He felt something smothering him, there wasn't enough air in the room. His chest hurt and his hands tingled – wanting only the soft shiny fabric of Blair's dress under their tips. He did care, that was the point. Chuck _cared _enough to get her away from the cheating atmosphere of Nate fucking Archibald, and he cared enough to take her away from that sleaze, Carter Baizen. Why didn't she understand? Why was she backing further and further away from him?

"Which is exactly why you and I can never work," Blair finished, her eyebrows raised in defiance.

"Slow down there, Waldorf," Chuck said, brow furrowed as he tried to reach out for her once again, only to have her push away from his grasp. He felt like a rapist, a terrible man that should be put in jail for wanting to lay one hand on the pristine (not so, in fact) virgin (even more not so) queen in front of him. He brought his face near to hers in an attempt to seduce her with his eyes, but she had none of it.

"You make me sick," she bit out, shoving him off of her with disgust.

And again, all Chuck Bass could do was watch her as she finished speaking.

"This thing between us, it's over." His eyes widened imperceptibly, and she only kept going, making his heart feel as if it was being weighed down with lead. It was so strange to feel this way, but it was comfortable as well – in a weird way. "For good." Such finality in her words; it made him want to beat his head against a wall until it was nothing but a bloody pulp. Let that teach the beast that lived within him to never hurt her again. But he knew that he would, and that pained him even more.

He reached out in a last attempt to mend things between them – the things that had been so brutally mutilated by none other than him. "Blair – wait, I didn't mean to -"

"Don't talk to me!" she snapped, turning back around to give him one last glare for good measure. His nostrils flared as she just walked away from him, from all the...fun that they had been having these past few weeks. He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up, really. Chuck should have known that he would fuck things up.

"Blair!" he yelled after her. She didn't turn around, she didn't give that ruthless monster anymore of her time. He in no way deserved it. Blair ignored Chuck and walked upstairs to try and find Nate. She finally found him, alone in a room, sulking and hiding from the security that had banished him not long ago.

"Hey," she said quietly. He didn't respond, but only rose from his place on the bed and pressed his lips to hers. She would have been angry if it hadn't felt so damn good. The room was small, and not really appropriate for what she assumed they were about to do. So, Blair took his hands and led him just next-door, to a room straight ahead from the spiral staircase. They stood just outside the open door, Blair's lips devouring Nate's neck.

Chuck couldn't just leave things like this. She had inspired these totally unknown things in him, and he just couldn't...he couldn't let her go. It wouldn't work. Strings tugged at his insides when he tried to be away from her, and it was completely stupid, but he just couldn't be away from her for some screwed up reason. He had checked nearly everywhere. Finally, his eyes landed on a woman standing at the end of the winding staircase, looking as if she were waiting for someone. Chuck walked over to her.

"Hey, have you seen Blair Waldorf?" he asked urgently. She mumbled a 'yes' and pointed upwards, to the top of the stairs. Maybe she was up there stewing about him, and if he just apologized...he continued to walk up the steps two at a time.

And then he stopped. Right at the top. There she was, but she wasn't stewing. Or sulking. Or by herself. Nate's arms were on her waist, her mouth on his, and Chuck's heart on the floor – stepped on carelessly. This thing that had happened to him, it was so foreign, but all he knew was that it hurt. And she would pay for what she'd caused to happen.

"Mmm," she half-moaned, half-gasped into his mouth. "It was so hot how you punched Carter out." Chuck should have left. This hurt too much, it was all too suffocating and terrible for him to handle, even though he was Chuck Bass. "I've never seen you do anything like that before." Dammit, that should have been _him_ there, holding her! He was angry and hurt. He felt like a dog who had been beaten and left in a corner to rot.

It was one of the worst things that had ever happened to him. He only looked at them, though. No interfering was possible for Chuck at that point. It was like watching a train-wreck, hard to pull your gaze away. He was frozen in place and just couldn't move. His eyes burned – those weren't tears, his eyes just _burned _dammit – and his feet felt like they were nailed to the floor.

As Blair's lips – the lips that should have fucking belonged to Chuck – moved to Nate's neck, peppering him with slow kisses, Nate took the opportunity to look up. He smiled the lecherous smile that only someone who was about to have sex with Blair could smile and winked at Chuck.

And Chuck couldn't even smirk. His grimace must have sufficed for Nate though, who disappeared into the dark room with Blair.

What the _hell _was wrong with him? He should've known that she had only been using him as a toy to keep her busy until Nate came around. What she had said the previous morning was utter proof. The fact that she couldn't be on him. But she'd said that it was because of Nate and his finding out, but now it was totally clear. She would have been embarrassed to be seen with him, because of his reputation. And now that Nate was warming up to her again, Chuck was useless to her. It was easy to just toss him away.

Well, he would make her pay for that – Chuck Bass style.


	4. School Lies: Bottom of the Staircase

**Title: **What _Were_ They Thinking?

**Author: **BookCaseGirl (Abby)

**Date: **August 12, 2009

**Rating: **T

_**Summary: A compilation of the thoughts from every epic moment in the relationship (or sometimes lack thereof) between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf.**_

**Status: **Work in-progress, though all future chapters are already written.

**Classification: **Some chapters will be totally happy, while others may make your heart break. No guarantees (;

**Author's Note: **Basically the same thing here...There was two very tiny things in "Roman Holiday" - the voicemail Blair left on Chuck's phone and Chuck sending her a text message – both of which I chose not to pick apart at because there's so little to pick. So, skipping that episode, here are Chuck and Blair's thoughts during the scene at the get-together at the Waldorf house, in the episode "School Lies".

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl

* * *

She felt the startlingly familiar soft hand of Chuck Bass on her arm, grabbing her to pull her aside from some sick, narcissistic fantasy of his, most likely. Blair retaliated and pulled away.

"Hey! Let go of me, Bass," she said in a voice no louder than a whisper. That touch of his most certainly was _not _the cause of the shot of electricity that went up her spine. No, it didn't, because the only person whose touch gave her that feeling now was Nate Archibald. Her white knight – always coming to her rescue. So no, Chuck wasn't having this affect on her. It was just...the rush of having so many people in her house and the up-beat nature of the party. ...Right?

"Drop your Archibald _habit _first," Chuck replied, his tone matching hers perfectly. His dark eyes – slightly slitted – bore into hers and she was painfully aware of the fact that his hand was still a mere centimeter away from her own. Their hands may as well have been touching, in fact. Her heart palpitated inside her chest without permission from her head and she focused on the situation. She loved Nate. And the thing with Chuck was just that: a thing. It was meaningless, and she had to keep her eyes on the prize.

She shook her head at him, conveying with her eyes that what he spoke of was absolute nonsense. He knew better than that, as her voice wavered only slightly – yet just enough for him, the ever-observant Chuck to detect – when she said, "You know I already have."

That was a load of crap. That kiss in the pool could have been filmed by leering eyes and added to a crude porn movie on the Internet, from what Chuck saw. And it pained him – though she need not know of this – to see that she was able to use her lips like that with a man who had so brutally cheated on her, more than once. Nate's mind wasn't ever in the right place with Blair, and Chuck was pissed off that she still couldn't see or understand that.

"Really, your kiss does sort of sent the wrong signal. Let's not waste time _denying_," he said quickly, already sensing that she would backpedal as much as possible to get him off her back. His head was tilted toward her so that – to any outsider – it would look like an intimate conversation not meant for others to hear. An intimate conversation between sworn enemies, of course. Because he hated Blair Waldorf at this moment; Chuck hated what she was turning him into, which was a man that would kill to just have her at _his _side and not Nate's. And because of this, he was trying to keep the boy he whom he called his best friend from being truly happy. But if that was what it took to keep his stomach from heaving every time he saw them in close proximity, then that was what he needed to do.

God, he was being _such _a drama queen. The whole blackmail blackmail thing was so incredibly childish and Blair fought her overwhelming urge to just slap him and put him in timeout like a little boy (thought the kinky aspects were..._No!_ She thought angrily).

"You know what? I'm tired of this," Blair's head bobbed up and down with the fury that flowed through her veins, and she took an imperceptible step closer to Chuck. Let him see what it was like to have someone talking so damn close to your face – their breath right on your nose and reminding you of nights spent..._spent nothing! _Blair finished inside of her mind. _You're doing all of this – you're here right now – because of Nate! Stop wasting time thinking about the worthless time you spent with Chuck._

"Go ahead and tell him," she finished, challenge in her voice and eyes as she nodded her head up towards the stairs, where Nate was in the bathroom.

"Really?" Chuck said, to which Blair nodded, raising her eyebrows. She was still getting closer. Dammit, why was she getting closer? Panic flowed in waves through her bones. No, there was a perfect explanation for this. There wasn't an overwhelming need for other people to hear this conversation – she was only getting closer to Chuck to keep unwanted prying ears away.

"You want me to tell him how you slept with me and then faked your virginity for him?" his eyebrows were up above the ends of the hair on his forehead and his eyes were cold, dark, and beady, like those of a rat about to attack.

Blair nodded vehemently. "I'll just tell him you're lying," she told him matter-of-factly. "And who do you think he'll believe? You who bangs anything in his sight -" he just had to smirk at that. Her eyes drifted down to his lips for the shortest of seconds (but, of course, she noticed it register in his eyes that he noticed). "or me -" she finished, doe eyes giving him a condescending look "his pure and _honest _girlfriend of many years?"

He looked off to the side and noticed that pudgy Vanessa girl from Brooklyn holding a camera. _Jack-fucking-pot. _Smirking, he looked back at Blair, who still had that same disbelieving and demanding look on her face.

"Oh, I know he'll believe me," he said, eyes opening a bit more from those vicious devil slants.

"Why?" For once, her body listened to her mind and her voice didn't quiver with the fright of what he really was capable of. It was assertive and demanding, everything that Blair wished herself to be, 24/7.

And then, there he was again, getting so goddamn close to her face to talk. His breath tickled her nose and blew a few stray strands of her hair to the side of her face when he whispered his next sentence. Tingles flew down her arms, and she felt heat starting at the base of her neck and coming up to color her cheeks. But he only looked behind her, not noticing these things after he said, "Because I have proof."

The words had been quick as his face blew right across hers, brushing them onto her as an artist would brush paint onto a canvas. But he felt something, being so close to those big, brown eyes and plump, ruby lips. He felt an indescribable and alien longing to just grab her and pull her against him, rubbing his body against hers as their lips connected. It was too late for that. She was gyrating against Nathanial now, and Chuck was behind. Hence the need for that scruffy-haired Brooklynite to give him the tape. It was the one thing he could use against Blair.

To destroy her. And then – maybe then – she would run back to _Chuck _for once and he could be the savior.

But no one was really as twisted as him – a part of deep down inside of him knew – so when it all did fall apart, she wouldn't come running back. She would run away from it all, and Chuck Bass would be left behind – again.


	5. Thin Line Between Chuck & Nate: The Bar

**Title: **What _Were_ They Thinking?

**Author: **BookCaseGirl (Abby)

**Date: **August 15, 2009

**Rating: **T

_**Summary: A compilation of the thoughts from every epic moment in the relationship (or sometimes lack thereof) between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf.**_

**Status: **Work in-progress, though all future chapters are already written.

**Classification: **Some chapters will be totally happy, while others may make your heart break. No guarantees (;

**Author's Note: **Since I love both of the wonderful scenes between Chuck/Blair (they may have been angsty, but they were still good, in my opinion), I briefly thought about just splitting the chapter in two and doing both...but then I realized that wouldn't be fair because of the other episodes having more than one scene as well. So, I chose the best of the two (though they're both amazing): the scene in the bar, during "The Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate."

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl

This is unbeta'd.

* * *

He sat at the bar, his sorrows swirling in the crystal glass with his scotch, when she came in. The door jingled, signaling the arrival of someone new, and Chuck just knew it was her. It was a given that he was her last resort – maybe, once upon a time, he had only ever wanted that – and it killed him. He wanted to be her first choice when all of this began. But Chuck had been foolish enough to believe that everything between Blair and Nate was over.

"No, thank you," Blair replied to the female bartender when she was offered a drink. She sat to his right, putting her purse on the chair next to her and folding her hands in front of her. He gave her this look – it made her just want to crawl into a hole, somewhere far away – like he was surprised she had even bothered to come. It was as if Chuck were disappointed in her _for _coming because a masochistic part of him thought she knew better than to play with the devil after he had fulfilled his inevitable prophecy.

She took a deep breath and looked up at him, readying herself for whatever Chuck threw her way. Blair smirked at him a bit, assuming that he would return the small gesture with one of his own. His expression did not change, and in that moment, she would have killed – _killed –_ just to see that leering sneer she had been so used to getting. Maybe that was just how much she had screwed things up, even Chuck Bass was angry with her. When he still would not budge, she adjusted her neck and her lips formed a pout.

"I came to congratulate you in person," Blair told him, her voice sad and almost needy. He was the only one she had left to turn to – everyone else had either betrayed her (Serena) or the other way around (Nate). Still, Chuck only looked at her, a cold, apathetic expression behind his eyes. She felt something sink – this had been the wrong idea. She shouldn't have come.

Looking him up and down with her dark brown eyes, she continued to speak, though he made sure to give no indication that he was the least bit interested in whatever the hell she had to say. "You _ruined _my relationship with Nate." at the mention of his friend's (he still refused to believe that he and Nate were really finished after something as little and unimportant as _Blair_) name he turned his gaze back to the mirror opposite him, taking a long swig of his scotch.

"Serena. All of my friends," she finished the thought, and he only rolled his eyes to the ceiling. It wasn't like they wouldn't come running back to her sooner or later. She was being so melodramatic, when really, this little whore (he didn't shy away from calling her this, because he needed to distance himself from those feelings that had transpired unexpectedly and focus on mending his friendship with Nate) would get everything back. Eventually, her life would once again be normal. But Chuck would always have this scar on her heart.

Blair glared at Chuck as he tried to wash everything she said down with large, overcompensating gulps of scotch. The glass was empty by the time she continued, and she almost felt a sweep of guilt at the fact that she had been driving him to alcohol. But then she realized it wasn't her fault at all, it was his own. He'd done all of this.

"Even Little Jenny thinks she's too good for me. So..." her face twisted into a frustrated grimace and she waved her hand in the air theatrically as she finished with a, "Bravo."

As she continued to speak to him, her voice turned quiet and angelic, and he could tell that her expression had softened. Chuck tried – so very hard – to convince himself that he was looking down and not meeting her eyes because of the fact that he was astonishingly angry with her. But that part (dammit, he wished it would just shut up) deep down inside of him that had been awakened since he'd been with Blair gave him a wash of sadness as he realized that he just couldn't lie to her. Some sort of chemical imbalance in his brain that told him that she didn't deserve any of this prevented him from doing exactly that – deceiving her with words that weren't true.

"I have no one to turn to but you."

But, he managed to muster up a bit more of the bastard within him, and finally met her eyes. His own eyes were amused at her naiveté; they were surprised that she had thought to even come here looking for him in the first place. Blair should have known better than to play with a dangerous fire – especially so soon after the fact.

"Actually," he said scoffingly with the tiniest hint of a laugh, "you don't even have me." Blair leveled him with her gaze, but he did nothing to stop his little hate speech.

"Enough," she said, but still, Chuck didn't quit.

"I'll try to be more succinct," he stated, looking her in the eye without shame or hesitation. His eyes were slitted as he glared at her and he felt a small swell when a melancholy look flashed through her eyes.

"You held a certain fascination..." his voice was strong, but as he watched her face fall at his words, it lost steam – and so did he. "When you were beautiful, delicate, and _untouched_."

She wasn't sure what to expect now. As Blair stared at him, and listened to the words that were coming out of his mouth, she found that this was truly one of her most unpredictable moments with Chuck Bass. Obviously he hated her, obviously he didn't want her anymore; but there was still something in his voice – behind the cold sheen of his eyes – that told her this wasn't over yet. That it couldn't be over yet.

"But now you're like..." Chuck tried to find words brutal enough to wound her as terribly as she had wounded him. Pursing his lips together, he delivered the line casually, "One of the Arabians my father used to own." He nodded his head, patting himself on the back for a job well done – her face was slightly confused until he finished the thought, looking away from her again (because these words were not true. He knew they weren't true. She was still the most beautiful and delicate piece of porcelain. But it wouldn't – couldn't – happen again), "Rode hard and put away wet."

She watched his jaw clench and refused to believe Chuck was telling her this. Blair wanted to fight back, but with everything else that had happened in the last day, she had no fight left in her. She was weak, and had come here in search of the strength she knew Chuck could give her. As he continued to glower at her, she felt unwanted tears dampen her eyes and her entire body sagged – though it wasn't noticeable to passersby.

"I don't want you anymore," he said, stabbing her in the heart – a place that had taken far too many beatings before – with every syllable he uttered. She felt tired, tired of everything that had happened, tired of her controlling lifestyle. Blair just wanted out. Out of everything.

He looked away from her unhappy face again when he closed up their conversation with, "And I can't see why anyone else would." The cold glass of his scotch touched his lips once again, calming him and reassuring him that she deserved every word being torn from his lips (he didn't really want to say these things; it was simply necessary to keep her away from him forever). Chuck drained the last of the burning liquid and slammed the glass down on the counter.

She looked down at his hand as it placed the glass down and pushed it away – his silent request for a refill – and then looked back up at Chuck's face. He must have been lying. Blair knew that none of what came from his mouth was true. It was his way of pushing her away because _he _had wrecked things and she was the only one left whom he had to blame. She wouldn't enable it any longer. Blair had enough problems without Chuck Bass in her life. Though she had this indescribable desperation inside of her for him to accept her once again, Blair stood up to leave – swallowing to keep the tears away – and cast one more look behind her shoulder before she reached the door. Blair waited one moment, half-expecting him to run after like in those old black-and-white movies, and then pushed through, closing the door to the Palace bar behind her.

Chuck pretended that Blair simply was not there. Eventually, when his hands stayed folded and in front of his mouth and he payed her no more attention, she took the hint and rose from her seat. He felt Blair's eyes on him again when the jingling of the bells on the door signaled her final departure, but ignored them pointedly. He looked back to see that he had not been imagining things. She really had been there, and he really had driven her away. The guilt and woe settled in on him once she left, and he felt this strange feeling of abandonment to see her retreating into the busy streets of New York. Blair may have been all he had left, and he just had to finish that off – like everything else, every_one _else.


	6. Much 'I Do' About Nothing: The Wedding

**Title: **What _Were_ They Thinking?

**Author: **BookCaseGirl (Abby)

**Date: **August 18, 2009

**Rating: **T

_**Summary: A compilation of the thoughts from every epic moment in the relationship (or sometimes lack thereof) between Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf.**_

**Status: **Work in-progress, though all future chapters are already written.

**Classification: **Some chapters will be totally happy, while others may make your heart break. No guarantees (;

**Author's Note: **Okay...I do have a bit more of an excuse this time. I had like three paragraphs written for the scene in "Woman on the Verge". That is, until I found that I had (confirming my suspicions) _indeed _written a oneshot about that. If you feel in any way cheated, check out "Through Thick Syrup and Malicious Plots". That also basically takes care of one scene in "Much I Do About Nothing", so instead here is a part with a bit more substance to it, during the van der Bass wedding.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl

This is unbeta'd.

* * *

Chuck clinked an expensive silver spoon against his champagne flute, and once he had the room's attention, set it down. Here it was, the big moment; he'd never been less prepared for anything in his entire life. Jitters traveled up and down his spine, and his heart palpitated irregularly. It was time to focus, and focus he would.

"I'd like to propose a toast," he said grandly, looking around the room at all of his father's and Lily's guests. Chuck picked up his notecards – for show more than reference, since he'd barely written a damn thing – and cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably and thinking of how his father would rebuke him later. He looked towards Bart, took a deep breath, and began, because it was now or never.

"My father is someone who goes after what he wants," he started, gesturing slightly with his hands. "And Lily van der Woodsen was no exception." He looked to the blond woman sitting next to his father and smiled slightly at her. "In typical Bass-man fashion his pursuit was direct. And at times...not exactly subtle."

He'd caught Blair's eye by mistake, just making general eye-contact around the room. Ignoring the flip he got in his stomach – it was just nerves about the speech; he needed to calm down – he flipped cards. But then, he caught her eye again, and something shifted again – however this time, it was pleasant and welcome. Her eyes were soft and encouraging; Blair looked rapt with his speech, and it gave him a boost of confidence. Chuck put the cards down – he could do this, he could – and felt Bart's eyes on him, skeptical. He ignored this as well.

"One thing I learned from my father's courtship of Lily is the importance of perseverance," Chuck stated, punctuating each word with a movement of his folded up hand in the air. "That in the face of true love, you don't just give up." His eyebrows raised, and his eyes found Blair's once again in the crowd of people. It was almost infuriating to him that she sat so close to his table, but at the same time, a comfort that someone he knew so well and liked so very much was near to him.

"Even if the object of your affection is begging you to," Chuck said languorously, smirking at her. Everyone else laughed at his joke, and she responded to it by only turning her lips up minutely; it appeared that she was stubborn this evening.

"One thing...I learned from Lily is the importance of forgiveness. She gave my father the gift of a second chance, and, in kind, I watched him become someone actually was worthy of that gift." As Chuck stared off into space, another thought came to him. This evening was one full of taking chances, and what would one more hurt? "And, one day..." he turned his gaze back to Blair. Their eyes locked, and suddenly, this speech had nothing to do with his father. It was all about her, and her forgiveness. "I hope I'll be lucky enough to find someone who will do the same for me." Their steady contact broke as Blair looked down – her gaze almost sad and nostalgic – and then back up into his eyes seriously.

He turned his attention back to the newlyweds and finished off the speech. "To the happy couple," he stated – quieter than when he began – raising his glass in a toast to them. The glass went up in the air once again, this time as a silent and private toast to Blair. A toast of promise – a promise that he wouldn't screw it up this time, and an apology for everything that he had screwed up before. She smiled at him – a small upwards twist of the lips that was really so simple, but made so elegant by Blair – and waved her own champagne around. Their eyes stayed fastened to each other, and Chuck swallowed the obligatory champagne needed after a toast. She'd forgiven him now, and it was time to start over...But he had to be the one to initiate it, that much he knew.

***

Blair walked over to where Chuck was standing, against a pillar, with authority and a bounce to her step. She couldn't believe the speech he had given only minutes ago, especially given the fact that she and the plot against Georgina Sparks had distracted him so greatly.

"That was quite a speech," she said, stopping in front of him and tilting her head to the side. Her tone changed and she spoke once more, "All your hard work must have paid off." Chuck took three steps closer to her, stepping away from the stone wall where he had been leaning, and met her in a comfortably loose embrace. They began to dance, and Blair noticed with surprise that Chuck was very good at keeping the beat and moving around the dancefloor.

"That wasn't what I wrote," he said as they gradually got used to the music and moved in time to it. "It was inspired in the moment." She smiled at him, one hand on his neck, the other holding his hand very loosely by his side – wait a second, she was holding _Chuck Bass's _hand? Maybe it was only a dream, and she would wake up soon. His voice was soft and she recognized it as the type of voice that he reserved for her and only her.

"I know I said some horrible things," Chuck began, and she sensed that this voice of his would stay. Blair was glad; it made her feel wanted, safe. It made her feel like she hadn't been used once by Chuck Bass and then thrown away like a used tissue. "Even for me." His face was so close to hers, and she was able to feel his warm breath on her cheek, and then her lips as he moved his face ever-so-subtly.

She curled her fingers on his neck and replied, "You mean blogging to Gossip Girl about our sex life and comparing me to your dad's sweaty old horse?" Blair shrugged with fake nonchalance and their entwined hands began to move up and down as they waltzed a little bit. His face got closer to hers and she felt her heart fly in front of her face, jump up in happiness, and then swoop back down to her chest.

"What's your point?"

Blair looked up into his eyes, smiling and stroking the back of his neck through the fabric of the suit he wore. "What's yours?" she retorted.

He got even closer – his lips were so close to hers; in any other situation or place (and if he had been a different person), she would have slapped Chuck for being so close – but, then again, it really wasn't abnormal for him to speak so closely to people. "You don't belong with Nate." His voice was soft. "Never have, never will," Chuck said this on her lips in a whisper, and Blair felt herself melt. Her fingers moved up to play with ends of Chuck's hair on the nape of his neck. She didn't bother to move her face, because she really did not want to.

"You don't belong with anyone." The snottiness that Blair meant for to come out in that sentence was lost in the journey from brain to mouth, and it came out quieter and less vicious than she had wanted. He smiled at her – softly, it wasn't like Chuck Bass ever beamed at _anyone_, so why should he start then, with her? – and leaned forward more, touching his lips to hers. They stopped moving – hell, the entire world stopped moving for Blair – and suddenly all that was there was his lips against hers, moving softly and slowly.

For once, it wasn't fast and heated. Chuck was taking his time with Blair. Their lips parted, but came right back to each other and melded once more. Blair's eyes stayed closed as she savored every second of this moment, where Chuck's lips were caressing hers in the most beautiful way. No longer were their kisses rough and wanting, but now, instead, they were patient and...loving. Did this mean that Chuck...that he...? Her lips moved against his faster, testing the boundaries, and her tongue plunged into his mouth.

"Mmm," he groaned into her mouth, pulling away. Her eyes were confused and she stroked the back of his slightly ruffled hair. "Let's take it slow this time," Chuck said, his voice rough and slightly husky. "Do it right." His eyes were soft and caramel-colored, no longer the cold, calculating ones that she was so used to. Chuck had changed...and it appeared that he had changed for her. She smiled at him – a surprised and genuinely happy smile.

They had begun moving to the music a bit more, and Blair let out a noise of shock. "Chuck Bass is a romantic....Who knew?" She stated.

"Now you do," he replied, his voice low and intimate. "That's all that matters." He gave her another small smile, eyes boring into her own. Blair stopped their movements on the hard-wood flooring of the dance-floor and took his hand, dragging him to a more private place – far away from here – where they could...talk. _Or do other, less vocalizing things,_ she thought with a smirk and a glint in her eyes as their gazes stayed locked on each other the entire way out of the reception room.

**End Note: **I'm just going to wait a day or two...like a break in between seasons, to post the new chapter, for the first episode of Season 2. I hope everyone is liking it so far.


End file.
